Now I come to a subject for which I have every (and yet no) qualification. This subject is one of the most subtle lies to ever make it out of the mouth of Satan. Are you ready? Here we go then.
2. It doesn't really matter what I say.
Words are the most powerful weapons we own and in the wrong hands or used for the wrong motives they can be of devastating consequence. It is not of small importance that the first creative thing in history was a word. The word of God. The word of God is referred to as the sword of the spirit and Jesus himself is called The word of God. Words matter.
But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgement for every empty word they have spoken. ~Matthew 12:36
In the most excellent Message version Eugene Peterson puts it this way "There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation."
Now this command could turn us all into gibbering wrecks without the Spirit of grace. In the same passage Jesus also talks about how the words flow out of our hearts. So it is our hearts that need the clean up rather than our words because out of a clean heart will come clean words.
How many of us have slandered brothers and sisters in their absence in a way we would never dream of doing in their presence. Do we think its of no consequence just because they cant hear. I believe we should honour all people (especially our brothers and sisters) whether they can defend themselves or not. We should be jealous for each others reputation. And the words we speak against people do US no justice as children of God. As we speak them we are condemning ourselves, they have a power over us and they have a power over our hearer. Our hearer must then make a moral decision based on what they have heard. Do they go along with us (often just to keep us happy) and condemn themselves. Do they remain silent (and thus are complicit in our sin) or do they challenge us and risk damaging a friendship. And it is we who have put them in this position. As James says "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness".
Is there a place for talking about problems and frustrations and hurts we have with others? Of course there is. It is really our hearts that are key and thank God for that we have Jesus. Our hearts can be healed. In the same manner we are told "In your anger do not sin" be very careful not to speak out of your hurt, frustration etc. Acknowledge it, acknowledge it with friends but resist blaming language. And speak with trusted friends about these issues in the light of Gods forgiveness and never to gossip. Remember "what you bless on earth will be blessed in heaven".
It is also not always what we say but also how we say things. Through our words our attitudes are conveyed. Much damage can be done to others through tone alone. My recent prayer, one that I carry with me is this "God give me the patience that you have shown to me" I always find this throws my negative feelings back on me and I can remember how merciful God is to me..and I never want to be like that unforgiving servant.
Some good news
James, who writes about the taming of the tongue, and is the brother of Jesus (debatabley but that's my take) and has an incredibly effective moral compass admits himself, in one of the strongest diatribes on this subject,
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ~(James 3:7-8)
Now I know this doesn't sound like good news but let me assure you that if James is saying that no one can do it, we can at least relieve ourselves of unrealistic expectations. James is, however, saying that we can all have a go, that we have to. In doing so, much damage by the enemy will be averted.
And the flip side is that our words have life. Our words are eternal, angels recording every one, so we can (and no doubt do) do incredible good with our words. We can build up and affirm, correct and encourage, prophesy and bring into life, heal, forgive, bless, challenge. You are children of God, and if so then Princes and Princesses with all the weight of heaven behind your words. Lets use them wisely and turn them back on the enemy of our souls.
Monday 27 February 2012
Friday 24 February 2012
More lies
So, now we have established that we are not the all important conquering hero, cutting swathes through the demonic hordes and singlehandedly defeating the enemy, or a demon seeking christian version of the Terminator, we may settle into the idea that we are a band of brothers and sisters, following orders from our commander Jesus. We need to watch out for each other, to step in at times and cover each others vulnerable sides while they fight elsewhere. This is a team effort.
It is my intention to dedicate a few episodes of this blog to the subject of exposing some general lies that Satan wants us caught up with. Here I want to deal with one in particular. A Sister recently told me " that our mindsets are key to our understanding and participating in spiritual warfare. so what better place to begin than with the renewing of the mind." and I suppose this was the more general subtext of my first 2 blogs on this issue.
Most lies that we embrace, intentionally or otherwise, come through human agents. These may well be demonically inspired (and demonically re enforced) but we are fed most of them through the words (spoken AND written) of other homosapiens. If I have a 15 minute conversation with you...and in the course of that conversation I reassure you, compliment you and affirm you say at least twice in every minute but at the end of that conversation say something derogatory like "Have you put on weight?" or "I think what you said the other day was out of order!" I can almost guarantee you that the thing you will take away from that conversation, the thing you will remember (and hold onto) will be the negative thing that I said. That is just our hard wiring I'm afraid. So we must make an effort to renew our minds. To believe what God has said about us. Things that Parents have said, teachers, bullies at school, friends etc have shaped us over the years. Roles that have been assigned to us in our families (ie He's the naughty one) may have sometimes become self fulfilling prophecies. We need to reboot a little.
Okay, as Julie Andrews once said (or sang rather) Lets start at the very beginning: a very good place to start.
1. You are wanted.
Satan would love for you to believe that you had no place on earth. That your life here were no more than an insignificant unwanted interruption in time. This is a lie from the pit of hell. Send it back with a label on the envelope saying "not known at this address". We are all Gods children. There is no illegitimacy in the Kingdom of God. He is the beginning and the end and has known you throughout. What ever you're parents may have said or done, no matter what your siblings or others have told you. You are unique and your place in this world is to be you. God chose you to do the job no other could; to be you. Remember 1 Corinthians 12:21, that the eye may not say to the hand I do not need you.
Psalm 139 provides most of the basis for what I am saying. Look at these tit bits. If this resonates meditate on this and ask Father, Jesus and The Spirit to give you his mind. Refuse the old lies that will no doubt rise up when you try to believe.
Verse 16 ~ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
We see here that the Father had a plan that includes us from start to finish. As the hymn goes "from life's first cry to final breath".
Verse 13-14 ~ For you created my inmost being; knit me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,I know that full well.
Here we see that God not only wanted us to come into existence but that he was very specific about who we were/are to be. I find this very healing and hopeful.
John 1:12-13~ Yet to all who did receive him......he gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision...but born of God.
So we see that no matter what we think about our origins or place in the world, no matter who we are, we are accepted wanted children, welcomed with open arms by our heavenly perfect Father. No matter what our start start in life, we can enter into the full acceptance of this loving relationship with God, through Jesus by the spirit.
And if we were in any doubt of his love towards (and desire for) us, look at this...
John 3:16~ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son
1 John 3:16~ This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ laid down his life for us
Romans 5:5~ God has poured his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit
He couldn't treasure us more. We are the pearl he sold all for. I think for us to "get it" it has to be more than repeating these things until we believe them. We have to repent of believing the lies, of giving them power by our own thoughts and words and then, FAR more importantly we must enter a deal with God in prayer that we are, you are, I am going to receive that truth, to welcome it and to download Gods love for us, to not just read the verses but to "click on the link" and make it ours.
It is my intention to dedicate a few episodes of this blog to the subject of exposing some general lies that Satan wants us caught up with. Here I want to deal with one in particular. A Sister recently told me " that our mindsets are key to our understanding and participating in spiritual warfare. so what better place to begin than with the renewing of the mind." and I suppose this was the more general subtext of my first 2 blogs on this issue.
Most lies that we embrace, intentionally or otherwise, come through human agents. These may well be demonically inspired (and demonically re enforced) but we are fed most of them through the words (spoken AND written) of other homosapiens. If I have a 15 minute conversation with you...and in the course of that conversation I reassure you, compliment you and affirm you say at least twice in every minute but at the end of that conversation say something derogatory like "Have you put on weight?" or "I think what you said the other day was out of order!" I can almost guarantee you that the thing you will take away from that conversation, the thing you will remember (and hold onto) will be the negative thing that I said. That is just our hard wiring I'm afraid. So we must make an effort to renew our minds. To believe what God has said about us. Things that Parents have said, teachers, bullies at school, friends etc have shaped us over the years. Roles that have been assigned to us in our families (ie He's the naughty one) may have sometimes become self fulfilling prophecies. We need to reboot a little.
Okay, as Julie Andrews once said (or sang rather) Lets start at the very beginning: a very good place to start.
1. You are wanted.
Satan would love for you to believe that you had no place on earth. That your life here were no more than an insignificant unwanted interruption in time. This is a lie from the pit of hell. Send it back with a label on the envelope saying "not known at this address". We are all Gods children. There is no illegitimacy in the Kingdom of God. He is the beginning and the end and has known you throughout. What ever you're parents may have said or done, no matter what your siblings or others have told you. You are unique and your place in this world is to be you. God chose you to do the job no other could; to be you. Remember 1 Corinthians 12:21, that the eye may not say to the hand I do not need you.
Psalm 139 provides most of the basis for what I am saying. Look at these tit bits. If this resonates meditate on this and ask Father, Jesus and The Spirit to give you his mind. Refuse the old lies that will no doubt rise up when you try to believe.
Verse 16 ~ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
We see here that the Father had a plan that includes us from start to finish. As the hymn goes "from life's first cry to final breath".
Verse 13-14 ~ For you created my inmost being; knit me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,I know that full well.
Here we see that God not only wanted us to come into existence but that he was very specific about who we were/are to be. I find this very healing and hopeful.
John 1:12-13~ Yet to all who did receive him......he gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision...but born of God.
So we see that no matter what we think about our origins or place in the world, no matter who we are, we are accepted wanted children, welcomed with open arms by our heavenly perfect Father. No matter what our start start in life, we can enter into the full acceptance of this loving relationship with God, through Jesus by the spirit.
And if we were in any doubt of his love towards (and desire for) us, look at this...
John 3:16~ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son
1 John 3:16~ This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ laid down his life for us
Romans 5:5~ God has poured his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit
He couldn't treasure us more. We are the pearl he sold all for. I think for us to "get it" it has to be more than repeating these things until we believe them. We have to repent of believing the lies, of giving them power by our own thoughts and words and then, FAR more importantly we must enter a deal with God in prayer that we are, you are, I am going to receive that truth, to welcome it and to download Gods love for us, to not just read the verses but to "click on the link" and make it ours.
Saturday 18 February 2012
Lie Number One
My gosh this is a tough one and a strange place to start on a series of blogs on spiritual warfare but, as mentioned in my last, one of the key elements to our warfare is being "not unaware" of the Devils schemes. So as a preparation for our warfare I think its important to expose a few lies so we can fight in the clear open air rather than in the fog of deceit.
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others ~ Phil 2:4
You are not the most important person in this battle. The first poisonous lie Satan slipped into the well back in Eden was to elevate our own opinion of ourselves. Firstly he used his argument (by comparing us with God) to put us on an equal footing with God (and here the enmity was established) and then he made our interests separate from Gods. This was never the case, our best interests have always lain with Gods interests. Later in the passage I quoted from, we see that the first quality of Jesus, the defining characteristic that qualified him to be THE supreme champion in this holy war, was that although he was god he did not consider equality with God something to be be grasped. In essence; he was not thinking of himself.
The beauty of this lie is that it is so bold, so outrageous that we would all disqualify ourselves from having partaken of it. Who among us thinks we are equal with God? It would take a very courageous soul to declare that and mean it! And yet its the fact that we would disqualify ourselves from believing this lie that makes us less likely to be on our guard against its more subtle forms. How many Christians could truly say they live in a way that is exempt from promoting our own interests above those of God. A preoccupation with our own feelings and our own circumstances is often serving this lie and is a major strategy of the Devils to keep us from addressing the battle at hand.
I was bought up short on this earlier in the week when I was listening to a track by the Sudanese rapper and former child soldier Emmanuel Jal . I confess I know little of the back story of this man. I acquired his album through a friend and had only really half listened to it. The track is called Emma and starts with a dedication to a lady named Emma McCune. The Chorus goes "What would I be, if Emma never rescued me?". The song infers that he was not only rescued from his life as a child soldier but also from Starvation. I thought to myself what kind of person does that, dedicates themselves to rescuing people in dangerous situations and why do I spend 99% of my time worrying about, concentrating on my own "problems" and feelings. I must admit it makes me feel slightly ashamed when I think how lucky I am, how grateful I should be and how little I do for others.
It strikes me that this overblown view of our own importance, no matter how subtle it is, is the first line of resistance from the enemy. I don't think spiritual warfare should take the form of a defensive mentality, seeing something going wrong with our car as a form of spiritual attack from Satan, but it should be taking the fight to him (at least at times it should) looking for injustices to fight and hopeless people to restore to Gods love.
The greatest commandment (Matt 22:37-40) was three fold. I view it as a triangle. Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul, mind and strength is at the top, loving your neighbour and yourself are both on the bottom at opposite corners, on the same level and linked by love. This is why the command to look to others needs as well as our own is SO important. It stops us navel gazing and paradoxically our own true needs are best served when we serve each other.
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others ~ Phil 2:4
You are not the most important person in this battle. The first poisonous lie Satan slipped into the well back in Eden was to elevate our own opinion of ourselves. Firstly he used his argument (by comparing us with God) to put us on an equal footing with God (and here the enmity was established) and then he made our interests separate from Gods. This was never the case, our best interests have always lain with Gods interests. Later in the passage I quoted from, we see that the first quality of Jesus, the defining characteristic that qualified him to be THE supreme champion in this holy war, was that although he was god he did not consider equality with God something to be be grasped. In essence; he was not thinking of himself.
The beauty of this lie is that it is so bold, so outrageous that we would all disqualify ourselves from having partaken of it. Who among us thinks we are equal with God? It would take a very courageous soul to declare that and mean it! And yet its the fact that we would disqualify ourselves from believing this lie that makes us less likely to be on our guard against its more subtle forms. How many Christians could truly say they live in a way that is exempt from promoting our own interests above those of God. A preoccupation with our own feelings and our own circumstances is often serving this lie and is a major strategy of the Devils to keep us from addressing the battle at hand.
I was bought up short on this earlier in the week when I was listening to a track by the Sudanese rapper and former child soldier Emmanuel Jal . I confess I know little of the back story of this man. I acquired his album through a friend and had only really half listened to it. The track is called Emma and starts with a dedication to a lady named Emma McCune. The Chorus goes "What would I be, if Emma never rescued me?". The song infers that he was not only rescued from his life as a child soldier but also from Starvation. I thought to myself what kind of person does that, dedicates themselves to rescuing people in dangerous situations and why do I spend 99% of my time worrying about, concentrating on my own "problems" and feelings. I must admit it makes me feel slightly ashamed when I think how lucky I am, how grateful I should be and how little I do for others.
It strikes me that this overblown view of our own importance, no matter how subtle it is, is the first line of resistance from the enemy. I don't think spiritual warfare should take the form of a defensive mentality, seeing something going wrong with our car as a form of spiritual attack from Satan, but it should be taking the fight to him (at least at times it should) looking for injustices to fight and hopeless people to restore to Gods love.
The greatest commandment (Matt 22:37-40) was three fold. I view it as a triangle. Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul, mind and strength is at the top, loving your neighbour and yourself are both on the bottom at opposite corners, on the same level and linked by love. This is why the command to look to others needs as well as our own is SO important. It stops us navel gazing and paradoxically our own true needs are best served when we serve each other.
Thursday 16 February 2012
This means WAR
I'm back. Been a long break and I'd love to be able to say that I have been on some kind of Internet fast or pilgrimage so as to have more insights to share with you...but that would be a lie. I simply got out of the habit of blogging (if indeed it had ever become a habit).
My new thought is that I should do this more regularly as a discipline of writing and a way of, what is so commonly referred to in church circles these days as "journaling". That is to say record my experiences and thoughts on this life of Christ following.
I had a dawning thought today as I drove between stations that I had much neglected this idea of being in a battle or, to be more specific, that there is an enemy. I have come to view (or always have viewed) myself as the enemy. Those old cliches about being your own worst enemy have always held true for me over the years.
The thought that has occurred to me today is that this is a down right lie. I am not my own worst enemy. My enemy is Satan, his weapons are sin and deceit. I have never joined his army (though at times I confess I have done his work for him) but the times in my life of self-sabotage have always been based on believing lies and untruths about myself, about what is really going on when I enter into those things which grace permits but love forbids. In short I have been deceived or I have felt too weary to fight. The battle is both a metaphor and a reality. Whether I believe in a personalised devil or not (I think I do) the sin and evil that he represents is the "enemy of our souls". C, S. Lewis wrote about how the greatest trick the devil ever pulled off was convincing people that he didn't exist. If there's no devil (whatever that means) we are not in a battle and docile unsuspecting Christians are easy targets as they continue in their life of grazing just enough to keep moving, navel gazing and questioning God when life does not deliver what they expect, or blaming him when it does deliver their negative expectations.
The battle is won in Jesus, the outcome is determined; Good wins, evil loses and death dies. But what we scrape from the ashes when the smoke clears is still being determined by how we live. Satan doesn't want to attack you, he doesn't want to alert you to his presence and (heaven forbid) have you fight back. He wants to erode your confidence in the Fathers love, he wants to undermine your faith, he wants to pollute your hope with despair.
Paul says in 2 Cor 2:11 that we are not "unaware of his schemes". Paul may not have been but I certainly am. We need to wake up and smell the spiritual coffee. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. He finds this so much easier when we are asleep to his activities. He has won so many battles by getting us to side with him in our naivety. I am saying to myself today to "wake up o sleeper, rise from the dead". I would urge you to do the same. In a war there are losses and victories but the fight must continue until the enemy is surrendered. We are fighting for our souls here and for the souls of our family. I'll be damned if I am going to stand aside and let his pillaging continue. I'm choosing sides today. You are a part of the solution or a part of the problem. I refuse to condemn myself any longer. I'll reserve the condemnation for the the one whose time is short. I am not my enemy. This fight is to the death.
I intend to commit a few more blogs to this subject over the coming weeks so stand by for a few more on spiritual warfare.
Love to you all
My new thought is that I should do this more regularly as a discipline of writing and a way of, what is so commonly referred to in church circles these days as "journaling". That is to say record my experiences and thoughts on this life of Christ following.
I had a dawning thought today as I drove between stations that I had much neglected this idea of being in a battle or, to be more specific, that there is an enemy. I have come to view (or always have viewed) myself as the enemy. Those old cliches about being your own worst enemy have always held true for me over the years.
The thought that has occurred to me today is that this is a down right lie. I am not my own worst enemy. My enemy is Satan, his weapons are sin and deceit. I have never joined his army (though at times I confess I have done his work for him) but the times in my life of self-sabotage have always been based on believing lies and untruths about myself, about what is really going on when I enter into those things which grace permits but love forbids. In short I have been deceived or I have felt too weary to fight. The battle is both a metaphor and a reality. Whether I believe in a personalised devil or not (I think I do) the sin and evil that he represents is the "enemy of our souls". C, S. Lewis wrote about how the greatest trick the devil ever pulled off was convincing people that he didn't exist. If there's no devil (whatever that means) we are not in a battle and docile unsuspecting Christians are easy targets as they continue in their life of grazing just enough to keep moving, navel gazing and questioning God when life does not deliver what they expect, or blaming him when it does deliver their negative expectations.
The battle is won in Jesus, the outcome is determined; Good wins, evil loses and death dies. But what we scrape from the ashes when the smoke clears is still being determined by how we live. Satan doesn't want to attack you, he doesn't want to alert you to his presence and (heaven forbid) have you fight back. He wants to erode your confidence in the Fathers love, he wants to undermine your faith, he wants to pollute your hope with despair.
Paul says in 2 Cor 2:11 that we are not "unaware of his schemes". Paul may not have been but I certainly am. We need to wake up and smell the spiritual coffee. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. He finds this so much easier when we are asleep to his activities. He has won so many battles by getting us to side with him in our naivety. I am saying to myself today to "wake up o sleeper, rise from the dead". I would urge you to do the same. In a war there are losses and victories but the fight must continue until the enemy is surrendered. We are fighting for our souls here and for the souls of our family. I'll be damned if I am going to stand aside and let his pillaging continue. I'm choosing sides today. You are a part of the solution or a part of the problem. I refuse to condemn myself any longer. I'll reserve the condemnation for the the one whose time is short. I am not my enemy. This fight is to the death.
I intend to commit a few more blogs to this subject over the coming weeks so stand by for a few more on spiritual warfare.
Love to you all
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